The name game

February 27, 2014

Yesterday we alluded to a new era for the Warren County School District, an era wherein the physical configuration of half the district is being changed significantly.

And, we expressed optimism, eschewing negativity as being counter-productive.

Today, allow us to suggest an exercise to express that optimism in a way that speaks to the communities those emerging schools represent.

After all, one of the important reasons the school district landed on this particular configuration for the future of its physical plant was the demand by the communities served by two high schools that those schools should be spared closing, if, for nothing else, their place in their respective communities' identity.

So, why not give those communities a chance to decide the identity of those schools?

We're not suggesting that sports teams be renamed or mascots changed; that would surely bring hoards of angry Knights and Wolverines to our door.

And, the respective communities may choose to stick with Eisenhower K-12 School and Sheffield K-12 School - though those monikers might be confused with some newly discovered vitamin - or decide to simply shorten them to Eisenhower and Sheffield.

Or, the Northern District could decide that something emotive of their region might be in order. The Sheffield folks could lean toward something indicative of their community's heritage and perhaps avoid an unfortunate abbreviation contained in a school district document presented Monday night.

Juliet Capulet's observation that names of things don't matter as much as what things "are" ignores the fact that names of schools provide them with an identity and a connection to some place or concept or tribute to some person of importance or leadership. Imagine how bland and unimaginative it would be if Warren County Schools were named P.S. 2, P.S. 3, etc., as they are in some cities. And, imagine the brouhaha over which school would be labeled No. 1.